AU2007100168A4 - Grey Water Disposal System - Google Patents

Description

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION Innovation Patent Applicant: EDGETEC SYSTEMS PTY LTD Invention Title: Grey Water Disposal System The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method for performing it known to us: 2 Grey Water Disposal System SThis invention relates to a grey water disposal system.

O 5 In many countries of the world there are serious issues associated with drought. In times of drought, water 00 conservation becomes of paramount importance.

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Traditionally, grey water, that is water that has been used in baths, washing machines, wash basins and the like, is fed into the sewerage system of the dwelling and thus Sis not available for use as a source of water that can be Cl used to irrigate a garden.

There have been a number of proposals to divert grey water which then has to be collected and dumped within 24 hours.

It is these issues that have brought about the present invention that concerns a system that is simple and can be used with minimal effort.

According to the present invention there is provided a grey water disposal system comprising a valved diverter outlet adapted to be positioned in the drain hole of a water receptacle, the valved diverter outlet being adapted to be coupled to the drain pipe and a pump, the pump including a static head loop that extends above the top of the receptacle.

An embodiment of the present invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a plan view of a bath coupled to a grey water disposal system, Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the bath, Figure 3 is a cross sectional view of the bath taken on the lines A-A of Figure 2, N \Melboume\Cases\Pareni\7 000-71999\P71 554.A ASpecis\P7 554 AU Specifcation 2007-2-28.doc 2/03107 3 Q- Figure 4 is an enlarged view of the detail within circle B ;of Figure 3, SFigure 5 is a plan view of a diverter outlet that forms part of the system, Figure 6 is a side elevation of the diverter outlet, Figure 7 is a perspective view of the diverter outlet, 00 Figure 8 is a cross section view of the diverter outlet in an open position, SFigure 9 is a perspective view of a cover showing a central drive spigot shaped in cross formation, and SFigure 10 is a perspective view of a valve driveshaft and C seal which engages with the cover central drive spigot.

The grey water system 10 illustrated in the accompanying drawings is shown attached to a bath It is, however, understood that the same system could be attached to any water receptacle that has a drain pipe coupled to the sewerage system.

The system 10 essentially comprises a valved diverter outlet 20 that is positioned in the drain hole of the bath to be in turn coupled to an electric pump which has an output feed loop 60 that can be connected to a hose pipe, tank or dripper irrigation system (not shown). The valved diverter outlet 20 consists of an upper 21, and a lower part 22 that screw together from opposite sides of the base of the bath The upper part 21 of the diverter outlet 20 comprises an externally threaded sleeve 23 that terminates at one end in an annular flange 24 which, when the sleeve 23 is pushed through the drain hole in the base of the bath the flange 24 abuts the periphery of the hole The interior of the sleeve has an annular rib 25 that in turn supports a cover member 30 that has a downwardly projecting annular tongue 31 that engages the rib 25 of the sleeve 23 to be axially rotatable relative to the sleeve from one of two positions shown in figures 3 and 8.

N \Melboume\Cases\Patent\7I000-71999\P7 I SS4AtASpecis\P71 554.AU Specification 2007-2-28doc 2/03/07 4 Q)The cover member 30 has a downwardly projecting central spigot 33 that in turn rotates a valve driveshaft 34 that Sin turn supports a disc-like valve seal 35. The valve drive shaft 34 has an upward projection spigot 36 which engages with downward projecting spigot 33 of cover The cover 30 that is rotated to open and close the valve 00 is also provided with a series of slots 38 that prevent

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entrapment when the pump in operating, yet allowing water to flow into the diverter outlet 20. The spigot 33 is shaped to provide rotational drive to the similar shaped upward projecting spigot 36 of valve member 34.

The valve drive shaft 34 has a downward projecting screw threaded spigot 37 which engages with the threaded boss of 22. The thickness of baths vary as does the thickness of material surrounding the bath hole To overcome this issue, a special washer (not shown) is slid over sperical shaped ribs at the upper flange of the body 22. The varying thickness of the hole means that there has to be some height adjustment between the upper part 21, and the lower part 22. This height adjustment can take place in the sliding spigot 36 between the cover and the valve shaft spigot 37. Because these two parts must allow sliding to permit the opening and closing of the valve seat, it is possible to extend engagement of the spigots to permit height adjustment. In this way the cover is held in a fixed vertical position relative to the upper part 21, while the valve seat is adjustable downward until the valve seat engages with surface 46.

The lower part 22 of the valved diverter outlet comprises an internally threaded sleeve 40 that is adapted to screw on to the threaded sleeve 23 of the upper valve part 21 thereby drawing the two valve parts 21,22 into firm engagement with the base of the bath An O-ring seal 41 sits between the top of the lower part 22 and is located in a groove 42 in the wall of the sleeve 23 of the N:W\elboume\Cases\Paten\71iDO-71999\P71554 ALNSpcis\P71 5S4AU Specificaion 2007.2-28.dc 2/03107 5 Q)upper part 21 to seal the two parts together. The lower part 22 has an outlet aperture 43 defined by a spigot 44 Sthat is coaxial with the valve parts 21,22 and this is the outlet that would be attached to a conventional drain pipe, allowing the contents of the bath to join the sewerage outlet. A second outlet 45 is mounted 00 transversely to the sleeve 40 of the lower part 22 and

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this constitutes the grey water outlet. The lower portion of the second part 22 defines an annular valve seat 46 which, as shown in Figure 3, is closed when the disc-like valve seal 35 is pressed down against the seat 46. When CI the valve is closed, water escapes from the bath (B) through the grey water outlet 45 and not the drain outlet 44.

To open the valve, the cover member 30 is rotated from inside the bath When the cover is rotated anticlockwise the cover drives the valve member 34 anticlockwise via engaging spigots 33 and 36. The anticlockwise rotation of valve part 34 rotates in the threaded boss near the base of lower part 22. The rotation of valve part 34 causes it to move upward lifting the disc like valve seat from seat 46, as shown in Figure 8, which then allows the water to escape from the bath and out through the drain outlet 44. Thus, the valved diverter outlet 20 is adapted to be simply placed in the base of the bath and provide a mechanically operable valve that can be operated from within the bath.

Clockwise rotation of the cover 38 will drive the valve member 34 downward to engage the seal to contact the valve seat 46. This permits the assembly to operate in a standard open close function as is typical in a conventional bath.

Figures 5, 6, and 7 show the outlet 20 from the exterior and show how the cover member 30 can be rotated in one of two directions to either open or close the valve.

N \Melbourne\Cuaes\Patcnt\7 I000-71999\P71554 AU\SpecisP71554 AU Specification 2007-2-28.doc 2/03/07 6 As shown in Figure 3, the valved diverter outlet 20 is Scoupled to the electric pump 50 that is positioned adjacent the bath at a level below the drain hole The outlet 51 of the electric pump 50 is coupled to a tank or hose or irrigation dripper system (not shown) via a 00 static head loop 52 that has an elevated U-bend 53 that terminates at a height above the height of the bath The top of the U-bend 53 may also have a float operated Svacuum break valve to break any siphoning effect that may c be caused when the pump is off. The fact that the static head loop 52 terminates above the level of the bath (B) also ensures that the contents of the bath cannot be siphoned off.

In use, the system does away with the conventional plug that would be placed in the base of a bath The diverter outlet 20 is turned to the closed position which means that the water in the bath cannot escape through the conventional drain. As the bath fills with water, the water flows out through the grey water outlet 45 and into the pump 50 which is positioned below the level of the bath. As the bath fills, the water flows through the pump 50 and progressively up the static head loop 52 so, that with a full bath, the water would be near the upper end of the loop 52. Thus, the loop 52, pump 50 and diverter all operate to ensure that the water does not escape from the bath to the drain.

To collect the grey water, the pump is switched on which immediately forces water over the static head loop 52 and out thus emptying the bath. When water ceased to enter the pump 50, it automatically switches off. The diverter valve 20 is then moved to the open position which then allows any residual water that may be in the static head N:\Melboumc\Cases\Paecjt\7 000-71999\P7 554 ALRSpecis\P7 554AU Spccification 2007-2-doc 2/03/07 -7 loop 52 to flow back into the valve via the pump to escape through the drain outlet 44.

Thus, there is no need for complicated electrical valves and by simply turning on the pump and operating the valved diverter 20 the user of the bath can select whether or not 00 to collect the grey water for secondary purposes or allow the grey water to simply escape via the conventional drain.

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Claims (9)

1. A grey water disposal system comprising a valved diverter outlet adapted to be positioned in the drain hole of a water receptacle, the valved diverter outlet being adapted to be coupled to the drain pipe and a pump, the 00 pump including a static head loop that extends above the NO top of the receptacle.

2. The disposal system according to claim 1, wherein the Sstatic head loop is downstream of the pump. (N

3. The disposal system according to either claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the diverter outlet has one outlet arranged to be connected to a drain pipe and the other outlet connected to the pump.

4. The disposal system according to claim 3, wherein the diverter outlet includes a valve operable to either allow flow to the drain pipe or to the other outlet.

The disposal system according to claim 4, wherein an upper part is secured into the hole from the inside of the receptacle to be attached to a lower part positioned underneath the hole and arranged to be attached to the drain pipe and pump.

6. The disposal system according to claim 5, wherein the upper part includes a displaceable cover attached to a downwardly extending spigot adapted to engage an upwardly extending spigot forming part of a valve member engageable with a valve seat on the lower part, whereby rotation of the cover operates the valve.

7. The disposal system according to claim 6, wherein the inter-engagement of the two spigots is longitudinally adjustable.

N \Meiboumc\Cases\Paten?\7 I00071999\P71 554AU\Spccis\P71 S34AU Spcificaion 2007.2-28doc 2/03/07

9- 8. A grey water disposal system substantially as described herein with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings. 00 N:\Melboume\Csses\Pztent\71D 00-71999\P7 1554.AU\Specis\P71554.AU Specificahion 2D07.2.28.doc 2/03/07